Stephen Fuller looks back on the development of our fence…
In 1993, I was part of a group of 22 conservation managers, scientists and engineers who got together to study a variety of national and international fence designs. Unfortunately, none was suitable for the needs of the sanctuary we were planning to create. We soon realized that if we wanted a fence that would fit our purpose, we would just have to design our own!
The following year we began an exhausting programme of animal trials. We first tested each species full range of capabilities such as jumping, climbing, digging, and their ability to pass through small spaces. We then pitted nearly 200 individual animals against our various fence designs, rejecting one design after the other as they were breached! We ended up with two successful prototypes which then had to be evaluated for the cost of materials and installation; tested against Wellington’s infamous wind; and assessed for their impact on the landscape. After all, this fence might have to be around for the next 500 years!
Detailed design work was finally completed in 1998, after nearly 4 years work. In August 1999, then- Conservation Minister Nick Smith and Wellington Mayor Mark Blumsky hammered in the final nails and the fence was complete. The rest is history!